SEATED SPINAL TWIST

Alignment
From a Lunge, sit your back knee down outside the front foot. Sit down inside your back foot and see that both sitz-bones are anchored down evenly into the floor. Make sure the front heel is in-line with your knee. Take the same hand behind your low back as the top leg, lift your opposite arm and lengthen through your side ribs. Twist in the same direction as your top leg, and hook your elbow outside your thigh with your fingers facing up. Gaze behind you.

Modifications
If both sitz-bones don’t anchor down and one hip stays lifted, try this posture with your bottom leg extended straight forward. If the lower back is rounding, sit on a blanket.

Do not perform if you have sacrum instability or a serious sacrum injury.

ANKLE TO KNEE POSE

English/Sanskrit
Ankle To Knee/Fire Log Pose, Agni Stambasana

Level
Basic

Alignment
Sit down, and stack your shins directly on top of each other. Keep your top ankle over the bottom knee, the bottom ankle under the top knee, and flex your feet. The space in between your thighs should make an equilateral triangle. Bring your hands in line with your hips and lift your chest. Fold forward as you maintain the length in your spine.

Modifications
If your top knee is lifted up, place a rolled blanket under it so your groins can release.

If both sitz-bones don’t press into the ground, extend the bottom leg straight forward.

If your back is rounding, keep your torso up and work on drawing your shoulders down your back. Sitting on a blanket will also help.

If you are unable to perform Ankle to Knee Pose, start by bending your bottom knee so your foot presses onto floor. Take the ankle of your other leg, and place it on top of the thigh of your bent knee. Lift your chest and press your knee forward.

Do not perform if you have a serious knee, lower back, or hip injury.

Benefits
Stretches hips and groins.

ANKLE TO KNEE POSE VARIATION

Alignment
Sit down, and stack your shins directly on top of each other. Keep your top ankle over the bottom knee, the bottom ankle under the top knee, and flex your feet. The space in between your thighs should make an equilateral triangle. Bring your hands in line with your hips and lift your chest. Fold forward as you maintain the length in your spine.

Modifications
If your top knee is lifted up, place a rolled blanket under it so your groins can release.

If both sitz-bones don’t press into the ground, extend the bottom leg straight forward.

If your back is rounding, keep your torso up and work on drawing your shoulders down your back, as shown here. Sitting on a blanket will also help.

If you are unable to perform Ankle to Knee Pose, start by bending your bottom knee so your foot presses onto floor. Take the ankle of your other leg, and place it on top of the thigh of your bent knee. Lift your chest and press your knee forward.

Do not perform if you have a serious knee, lower back, or hip injury.

Benefits
Stretches hips and groins.

ANKLE TO KNEE POSE VARIATION

Alignment
Sit down, and stack your shins directly on top of each other. Keep your top ankle over the bottom knee, the bottom ankle under the top knee, and flex your feet. The space in between your thighs should make an equilateral triangle. Bring your hands in line with your hips and lift your chest. Fold forward as you maintain the length in your spine.

Modifications
If your top knee is lifted up, place a rolled blanket under it so your groins can release.

If both sitz-bones don’t press into the ground, extend the bottom leg straight forward.

If your back is rounding, keep your torso up and work on drawing your shoulders down your back. Sitting on a blanket will also help.

If you are unable to perform Ankle to Knee Pose, start by bending your bottom knee so your foot presses onto floor. Take the ankle of your other leg, and place it on top of the thigh of your bent knee. Lift your chest and press your knee forward, as shown here.

Do not perform if you have a serious knee, lower back, or hip injury.

Benefits
Stretches hips and groins.

HEAD OF KNEE POSE

English
Head of Knee Pose, Janu Sirsasana

Level
Basic

Alignment
Sit down with your legs extended forward. Bend one knee into your chest and open it out to the side. Place your foot on the inner thigh of your opposite leg. Lift your chest and turn your shoulders to face the extended leg, maintaining equal length on both sides of your torso. Fold forward, maintaining the length in your spine. Take ahold of your front foot, and reach your chin toward your shin.

Modifications
If your bent knee is lifted up above the ground, place a rolled blanket underneath to fill the space.

If your back is rounding, sit on a blanket and work on lengthening the spine.

If you can’t hold your front foot without extensive rounding in the back or bending your front knee, loop a belt around your front foot and inch your torso forward from your ribs.

For hyperextension in your front knee, place a rolled towel under your knee to keep your joint in alignment.

HEAD OF KNEE POSE VARIATION

English/Sanskrit
Head of Knee Pose Variation, Janu Sirsasana

Level
Basic

Alignment
Sit down with your legs extended forward. Bend one knee into your chest and open it out to the side. Place your foot on the inner thigh of your opposite leg. Lift your chest and turn your shoulders to face the extended leg, maintaining equal length on both sides of your torso. Fold forward, maintaining the length in your spine. Take ahold of your front foot, and reach your chin toward your shin.

Modifications
If your bent knee is lifted up above the ground, place a rolled blanket underneath to fill the space.

If your back is rounding, sit on a blanket and work on lengthening the spine, as shown here.

If you can’t hold your front foot without extensive rounding in the back or bending your front knee, loop a belt around your front foot and inch your torso forward from your ribs.

For hyperextension in your front knee, place a rolled towel under your knee to keep your joint in alignment.

Modifications
If the full posture is not available, it’s not necessary to grab your front foot. Keep reaching through your fingertips. If you need more stability, let go of your knee and place your forearm down to the floor or a block inside your front knee.

Modifications
If the full posture is not available, it’s not necessary to grab your front foot. Keep reaching through your fingertips. If you need more stability, let go of your knee and place your forearm down to the floor or a block inside your front knee, as shown here.

Benefits
Stretches side body, spine, shoulders and groin.

BOUND ANGLE POSE

English
Bound Angle Pose/Cobbler Pose, Baddha Konasana

Level
Basic

Alignment
From a seated position, bend your knees into your chest and open them out to the sides. Lift your chest, and use your hands to open the arches of your feet as the outer edges of your feet press together. Keep a long spine, press your elbows back along the sides of your torso, and fold forward.

Modifications
If your back is rounding, sit on a blanket. Keep a long spine and stop folding forward when your back begins to round extensively. Draw your shoulder blades down and across your back, away from your ears.

If your knees don’t reach the floor comfortably, place a rolled blanket under each knee, filling the space to the ground.

Do not perform if you have a serious lower back injury (such as a bulging disc), a serious knee injury, or pain in your knees.

BOUND ANGLE POSE VARIATION

English
Bound Angle Pose/Cobbler Pose Variation, Baddha Konasana

Level
Basic

Alignment
From a seated position, bend your knees into your chest and open them out to the sides. Lift your chest, and use your hands to open the arches of your feet as the outer edges of your feet press together. Keep a long spine, press your elbows back along the sides of your torso, and fold forward.
Modifications
If your back is rounding, sit on a blanket. Keep a long spine and stop folding forward when your back begins to round extensively, as shown here. Draw your shoulder blades down and across your back, away from your ears.

If your knees don’t reach the floor comfortably, place a rolled blanket under each knee, filling the space to the ground.

Do not perform if you have a serious lower back injury (such as a bulging disc), a serious knee injury, or pain in your knees.

INTENSE STRETCH POSE

Alignment
From a seated position, extend your legs forward. Press your hands down in line with your hips and flex your feet. Lift your chest. Release your shoulders down your back and draw your navel in. Fold forward as far as you can while maintaining length in your spine. Hold the outside of your feet if it is available.
Modifications
If your back is rounding, sit on a blanket, and don’t fold as far. Instead, keep your hands in-line with your thighs or knees, and work on pulling your chest and ribs forward, lengthening your torso up away from your hips. If you can’t reach while maintaining length in your spine and legs, loop a belt around the arches of your feet.

For hyperextension, place a rolled towel under your knees to protect the joint, or keep pressing the backs of your knees toward the floor without lifting your heels.

Do not perform if you have sciatica or any serious hamstring or lower back injuries.

PIGEON PREP POSE

English/Sanskrit
Pigeon Prep Pose, Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

Level
Flow

Alignment
From Down Dog Split, roll your chest forward until your shoulders are over your wrists, and draw your knee into your chest. Place your knee behind the corresponding wrist, and move your shin as parallel to front edge of the mat as is comfortable. Square your hips forward, lengthen your back leg, lift your chest and draw your navel in. Fold forward. Walk your arms forward. If your shin is parallel to the front edge of the mat, flex your foot. If your shin is at a diagonal to the front edge of the mat, point your foot.
Modifications
If there is a lot of space under your hip, place a rolled blanket under your hip and extended thigh.

If your hips are flexible, move your front shin parallel to the front edge of the mat and flex your foot. Place a rolled blanket under your hip and extended thigh to create space in the hip joint.

PIGEON PREP POSE VARIATION

English/Sanskrit
Pigeon Prep Pose Variation, Eka Pada Rajakapotasana

Level
Flow

Alignment
From Down Dog Split, roll your chest forward until your shoulders are over your wrists, and draw your knee into your chest. Place your knee behind the corresponding wrist, and move your shin as parallel to front edge of the mat as is comfortable. Square your hips forward, lengthen your back leg, lift your chest and draw your navel in. Fold forward. Walk your arms forward. If your shin is parallel to the front edge of the mat, flex your foot. If your shin is at a diagonal to the front edge of the mat, point your foot.

Modifications
If there is a lot of space under your hip, place a rolled blanket under your hip and extended thigh, as shown here.

If your hips are flexible, move your front shin parallel to the front edge of the mat and flex your foot. Place a rolled blanket under your hip and extended thigh to create space in the hip joint.

TABLE TOP

English/Sanskrit
Table Top/Purvottanasana

Level
Flow

Alignment
From a seated position, bend your knees and place your feet on the floor parallel and hip-width distance apart. Place your hands about 6 inches behind your hips with your palms facing down and your fingers facing forward. Press into your hands and feet, and lift your hips up in line with your knees. Release your head back.

Modifications
If you're lightheaded or if your hips are not in line with your knees, keep looking forward.

If you have tension in your lower back, squeeze a block in between your thighs and press your hips up.

Do not perform if you have severe wrist pain or an overactive thyroid.

SAGE MARICHI POSE A

English/Sanskrit
Sage Marichi Pose A, Marichyasana A

Level
Advanced

Alignment
From a seated pose, keep one leg extended and bend the other knee into your chest. Place your foot a few inches away from your thigh, keeping your heel in line with the sitz bone. Lean into your hand on the same side as the extended leg. Press your hand down in line with your hip. Reach your other arm straight up and lengthen your side ribs. Lean forward and reach your arm in front of the shin of your bent knee. Bend your elbow, and take a bind behind your back. Lift your chest. Fold forward toward your extended leg.

Modifications
If the bind isn’t possible, use the same hand as your bent knee, and reach for the outer edge of your front foot. Place the other hand outside your hip. Work on getting low, and pulling your chest forward.

If the bind is almost possible, use a belt to connect the space between your hands.

If you have limited mobility in your pelvis, sit on a blanket.

Do not perform if you have serious lower back or hamstring issues, or sacrum instability.

SAGE MARICHI POSE A VARIATION

English/Sanskrit
Sage Marichi Pose A Variation, Marichyasana A

Level
Advanced

Alignment
FFrom a seated pose, keep one leg extended and bend the other knee into your chest. Place your foot a few inches away from your thigh, keeping your heel in line with the sitz bone. Lean into your hand on the same side as the extended leg. Press your hand down in line with your hip. Reach your other arm straight up and lengthen your side ribs. Lean forward and reach your arm in front of the shin of your bent knee. Bend your elbow, and take a bind behind your back. Lift your chest. Fold forward toward your extended leg.

Modifications
If the bind isn’t possible, use the same hand as your bent knee, and reach for the outer edge of your front foot. Place the other hand outside your hip. Work on getting low, and pulling your chest forward, as shown here.

If the bind is almost possible, use a belt to connect the space between your hands.

If you have limited mobility in your pelvis, sit on a blanket.

Do not perform if you have serious lower back or hamstring issues, or sacrum instability.

COMPASS POSE

English/Sanskrit
Compass Pose, Parivrtta Surya Yantrasana

Level
Advanced

Alignment
From a seated position, bend one knee and cradle your shin into your chest in-­between your forearms. Hook your knee as high as possible over the same shoulder. Place your hand beside your hip and lean into your hand. Extend your arm. With the opposite hand, grab the outside of your foot, crossing your hand on top. Look under the armpit of your lifted arm and extend the top leg. Lean back and roll your chest open toward the ceiling.

Modifications
If you have limited flexibility in your hamstring or hip, keep cradling your shin into your chest.

Do not perform if you have a serious hip, shoulder, hamstring or groin injury.

COMPASS POSE VARIATION

English/Sanskrit
Compass Pose Variation, Parivrtta Surya Yantrasana

Level
Advanced

Alignment
From a seated position, bend one knee and cradle your shin into your chest in-­between your forearms. Hook your knee as high as possible over the same shoulder. Place your hand beside your hip and lean into your hand. Extend your arm. With the opposite hand, grab the outside of your foot, crossing your hand on top. Look under the armpit of your lifted arm and extend the top leg. Lean back and roll your chest open toward the ceiling.